In November of 1976, the Computer Society's Model Curricula Subcommittee issued a report on "A Curriculum in Computer Science and Engineering." Two subject areas of that curriculum are summarized here: computer organization and architecture, and the associated laboratory sequence. The ensuing paragraphs provide some insight into the rationale which governed the committee's choice of topics and courses, taking into account the diverse opinions of its contributors and, in particular, the thorny question of how to bridge the hardware/software gap.